Rewiring the Brain

A few weeks ago, due to a broken arm, I was forced to switch to my left, non-dominant, hand to control my computer mouse. Despite the fact that the sling is off and I’m back to using my right hand, I’ve stuck to using the mouse with my left hand because at this point, I’m pretty dang good at it! I was surprised at how quickly it got easier and I was tickled to just stumble across someone suggesting this as an example of neuroplasticity.

Often people opt for an Extended Stay at Green Mountain at Fox Run because they are aware that it takes practice to cement new habits. What they might not always realize is that when they practice a new habit they are actually creating new neural circuits in the brain, i.e. neuroplasticity. Our Train Your Brain Extended Stay Program takes advantage of brain neuroplasticity to increase your likelihood of success upon returning home after a stay at our healthy weight loss spa.

There are a variety of things that set the stage for training your brain; luckily we have these as elements of our program. According to Dr. Dan Siegel, author of The Developing Mind, the things that lay the ground work for neuroplasticity are:

physical activity

good nutrition – especially getting enough omega-3 fatty acids

exposure to new/novel things – my favorite!

being mindful/focusing

adequate sleep

social interaction

Have you been surprised at your ability to learn new things in a short time frame?